


Lazy Days, Quiet Words

by albysant (transtobio)



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Canonical Character Death, Domestic Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pets, Resurrected Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:54:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28303386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transtobio/pseuds/albysant
Summary: It's an open secret that Bakura dislikes being alone.
Relationships: Bakura Ryou/Yami Bakura
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Lazy Days, Quiet Words

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bloodfruit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodfruit/gifts).



> Happy Holidays Ruin!! I hope you enjoy a wittle tendership, as a treat.
> 
> Note: Yami Bakura (and also Yami Yuugi but he's not mentioned) come back sometime after the events of canon and shack up with their respective hosts. Don't think too much about the particulars, this is just a bit of fluff and me dipping my toes back into YGO!

Bakura had gotten used to a certain degree of luxury. He started to take for granted the plentiful food and water living in modern times had, the secure roof over his head, and the way he could send a message to his host ( _former_ host) instantly despite their now-independent bodies.

He also had gotten used to the soft, comfortable surfaces most everyone used to sleep on. Bakura’s favorite place was the sofa, back firm but the cushions plush. It sat in the middle of the living room, which he wasn’t too keen on until he realized that it was the _best_ location to be. Here he could look out the window to the city below him, or turn on the television to check the news. It also had a good view of the hallway that led to the bedrooms, so he could often see Ryou exiting before he heard him. The only disadvantage was that the kitchen door was behind the sofa, so he had to crane his neck (or tilt back the sofa - an awful idea, he realized after the first fall) to see what was going on.

The point was, Bakura loved the couch. He spent nearly all his _time_ on the couch, at least when Ryou wasn’t there.

Thus, it was no surprise that he woke up there one afternoon, face smashed into the arm. He looked around, confused why he had woken up, and then realized.

It was quiet. _Too_ quiet. The dull hum of the air conditioner wasn’t present, nor was the droning voices of news anchors. All Bakura could hear was the gentle patter of rain, quiet against the windows due to the relative height of the apartment.

Bakura fished around for the television remote and clicked the power button.

Still nothing.

He resisted the urge to groan, and got up from the couch. Seconds later, he heard a gentle ‘mrrph’ and realized that he had upset Runt by moving.

Bakura put a hand over his face, and picked up the cat before she started crying. She followed him everywhere ever since he had found her all those months ago, half-drowned in a plastic bag behind a dumpster. She couldn’t see very well and would scream if left alone for too long.

Bakura couldn’t have her making excess noise. He wasn’t yet sure _why_ the power was off, but wouldn’t put it past a thief to cut the cables before attempting to enter.

That happened often in movies, after all. Bakura couldn’t _assume_ it wouldn’t happen here, in the apartment he shared with Ryou.

Runt settled into the crook of Bakura’s arm, and he casually leaned down to grab the baseball bat lying next to the couch. He would have preferred a knife, but those were short-range, and he needed to keep Runt out of danger as much as possible.

He checked the front door first, satisfied that it was still locked and firmly closed. Then, Bakura went around, ensuring each window was latched shut.

Bakura was just about to patrol each room when he heard a dull, familiar chime come from the bedroom. He realized that was the sound that meant Ryou had texted him, and went to grab his phone.

 _‘Lightning struck one of the power lines, and it will take them a couple of hours to fix it.’_ Ryou’s message said. _‘I’m on my way home, but I’m stuck in traffic due to the rain.’_

Bakura nodded and realized Ryou couldn’t see him. He sent the thumbs up emoji, and then a knife after his former host sent some hearts.

His phone buzzed again, but Bakura ignored it. He tucked it into his pocket and put the baseball bat back where he had gotten it.

Then, he stared out the window, and wondered what to do with his time. He _could_ fall back asleep, but Ryou was going to be home soon, and he wanted to be awake for that. Unfortunately, his main method of entertainment - the television - was out of commission, and Runt was firmly sleeping in his arms. He wouldn’t put it past her to claw him if he woke her up to play.

Bakura wandered into the kitchen, and felt his stomach grumble. He had forgotten to eat lunch - or was it breakfast? - today, and now that the power was out… well, he couldn’t just let the food go to waste. 

What if it took them longer than a couple of hours to fix it? Bakura barely felt comfortable relying on Ryou, someone whose intimate secrets and darkest fears he knew, how could he trust random electricians? The bureaucracy of a city?

No, he should eat everything before it goes bad.

Ryou often made side dishes ahead of time and stored them in the fridge. Bakura couldn’t be trusted with the stove ( _yet_ ) aside from making rice, nor was he interested in learning more.

He waited for the rice to cook before serving himself a generous portion of rolled omelet and, after a moment’s decision, pickled cucumbers. Ryou was always telling him to eat more healthily, and what was better than something green?

Bakura situated Runt in his lap as he ate on the sofa. The sun, already hidden by the clouds, was starting to go down, making the normally well-lit living room seem dark and dreary. Without any form of distraction or entertainment, he found it hard to eat, his stomach forgetting its earlier hunger.

He ate the cucumbers, just so Ryou wouldn’t chide him so much later, and put the half-full plate on the coffee table, bundling up in the blankets and jostling Runt. She let out a loud chirp and burrowed into his side, purring madly.

Bakura relaxed around the comfortable darkness and started to doze off, comforted by the cat’s loud purring. Like this, with a blanket over his head and Runt at his side, he could almost pretend things were normal. There was no issue with the power, he just didn’t feel like watching television.

Runt’s purring petered off, and then started up again with a jolt. Bakura flinched, and realized that was _actually_ the vibration of his phone. He pulled it out and squinted at the harsh light of the screen.

_‘I’m almost home. Do you want me to pick up dinner?’_

_‘Not hungry.’_ Bakura replied, ignoring the earlier text he had ignored, Ryou asking once again if he was okay.

Bakura would be fine the moment he returned.

No longer sleepy, Bakura decided to wander around the house. He wanted to check one last time that the windows and doors were shut and locked — it gave him something to do. He was careful this time not to disturb Runt, who was drooling on the sheets in her sleep and looked absolutely content.

He didn’t feel the need to bring the baseball bat, and did a complete check of the house before ending at the front door. He had gotten interrupted last time by the phone, and while he knew things were fine, he couldn’t help but check. He stopped near the entry room, and decided to sit and wait.

Bakura’s phone chimed again, and he realized Ryou was calling him. He waited a second before picking up, waiting for the other man to speak first.

“Sorry, did I wake you up?” Ryou asked, voice muffled by the background noise around him. “I’m almost home.”

“I was awake,” Bakura said shortly. “Shouldn’t you focus on walking or whatever?”

Ryou laughed slightly. “I’ll be fine. It’s a bit crowded, but everyone is focused on getting out of the rain.”

“Hmm.” Bakura wished he knew where Ryou would be coming from so he could meet him halfway.

He knew Ryou could fend for himself (and _has_ , on multiple occasions, especially when Bakura was gone) but he still felt more comfortable when the other man was within his view, or walking with him. Ryou tended to space out even nowadays, and could walk quite a ways before considering his destination.

“Do you want to stay on the line while I walk?” Ryou asked.

Bakura scoffed. “Are you going to trip and fall like you did last time?”

“I’ll pay attention,” Ryou promised, voice clearer suddenly. “How is the little one doing?”

“Runt’s passed out on the sofa,” Bakura craned his head to spot the white fluff on the sofa. “She’s drooling.”

“On the new blanket?”

Bakura hummed in confirmation and smirked at Ryou’s sigh. “Well, it had to get broken in some time.”

“How was class?” Bakura asked suddenly.

“It was good,” Ryou seemed to stop for a moment, and Bakura heard a familiar chime. “We are being split into groups for our final project, so it’s looking like I’ll be gone for longer some days.”

Bakura frowned. “Make them come to your apartment.”

“ _Our_ apartment,” Ryou reminded him. “Why? You hate meeting new people.”

“I’ll make them do their work and not push it onto you.”

Ryou sighed again, but there was a smile in his voice as he said, “I don’t need you to threaten people for me anymore.”

“But I _like_ doing it.”

“Violence will only get you in trouble,” Ryou said. “Especially since we’re still waiting for your identification.”

“Damn government,” Bakura grumbled.

He perked up when he heard the front door open. “That better be you.”

“It is—” Ryou was cut off by the sound of the door slamming open, and he was barely able to get his shoes off before Bakura tackled him.

Bakura’s new body was a lot like his original one, dark-skinned and stocky. He was a solid weight against Ryou’s tall but thin stature, and only months of exposure prevented him from falling to the ground.

“Miss me?” Ryou couldn’t help but tease, patting Bakura’s hair.

Bakura shook his head but nestled further into Ryou’s jacket. Ryou dropped his umbrella, uncaring of where it landed, and wrapped his arms around Bakura. “I’m home.”

“Welcome back,” Bakura muttered, and then twitched. “Let go.”

Ryou removed his hands, and felt Bakura detach from him. He walked back into the hallway without nary a glance, and Ryou hid a smile.

Bakura settled back on the couch, upsetting Runt by pulling her into his lap. It was _her_ fault; she was curled up where Ryou usually sat. Ryou came in, holding a tray of tea, just as the lights flickered back on, and he smiled. “Just in time.”

Bakura grumbled and turned the television back on. Ryou settled into the spot beside him, their shoulders barely brushing as they sat on the sofa.

Bakura took a sip of tea and grimaced. Ryou never added enough sweetener to suit his tastes. He put it back down and turned to face him.

“Is something wrong?” Ryou asked.

Bakura shook his head. “Sit still— facing the _television_ , not me.”

Ryou did so, used to the whims of the former spirit. Bakura had been fond of game shows lately, and played on the channel, though Ryou could hardly guess what the premise was supposed to be.

He was just contemplating turning the volume up when he felt a sudden pressure in his lap. Ryou didn’t have to look down to know that Bakura had laid his head there, wanting to be aware of Ryou’s presence but not relaxed enough to cuddle.

Ryou waited for Bakura to settle before he slowly lifted a hand and pet the other’s hair. “Rough day?”

“No,” Bakura denied, turning over so his face was close to Ryou’s stomach. “Nothing happened besides the power.”

Ryou hummed, and noticed the left out plate of food from earlier. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really.”

“How about you take a nap, and then we go to the konbini when you wake up?” Ryou suggested, always in awe of how soft Bakura’s hair was. “I bet you didn’t go outside today.”

“Runt refused to get into her carrier.”

“I see,” Ryou said, indulging Bakura. “Well, how does that sound?”

“... Good,” Bakura admitted, eyes slipping shut. “Wake me up in a bit.”

“Of course I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> The cat's name is チビ (chibi) but I translated it to Runt because that's what Bakura means when he refers to her... most of the time. Ryou means it in the cuter way but he also delights in calling her 'the little one' because she's a part of the family he has with Bakura.


End file.
